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Retirement accounts can be used as sources of cash to pay for the medical treatment of advanced illnesses. If considering this option upon serious illness or debilitation, it is important to understand the taxes and other stipulations involved, writes physician and financial planner Carolyn McClanahan.

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A key part of creating a financial plan involves considering longevity -- and one number doesn't work for everyone, despite some assertions to the contrary, writes Carolyn McClanahan. Instead, it's usually worth having conversations with clients about their health, and a simple way to start the dialogue is to ask people how they take care of themselves, she writes.

Financial advisers should focus on the positive rather than negative aspects of clients' behavior in order to promote healthier investments and foster a more positive financial outlook, says Daniel Crosby of behavioral finance consulting firm IncBlot. Crosby suggests helping clients measure their actions and investment performance against personal benchmarks rather than against the economy as a whole.

A growing number of Americans are choosing to retire in Central America, where countries including Panama, Nicaragua and Belize offer foreign retirees breaks on taxes and fees. The number of Americans collecting Social Security in Panama increased to 2,164 in 2011, a 65% increase from 2006.

Seniors and experts testified to the Senate Special Committee on Aging last week about high-interest payday loans, which have left many older Americans mired in debt. Congress is considering how to regulate the process, which payday lenders and banks say fulfills a growing need among American consumers by providing short-term loans. Critics argue that the loans trap consumers in debt.

Mitch Tuchman, a retirement account manager with Rebalance IRA, writes that there are three ways investors can rebalance their portfolios to ensure a safe retirement. "The sooner you can take action to build your retirement safely and securely, the more likely you are to succeed," he writes. "Wild bets are for Vegas."